Penn State Football Recruiting: De'Jahn Warren Earns Four-Star Rating
One of Penn State’s top remaining defensive backs, cornerback De’Jahn Warren, made a big jump in the rankings over the weekend, moving to a 5.9 four-star on Rivals.com.
A junior college prospect from Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pa., Warren earned a scholarship offer from the Nittany Lions back in February. He’s since seen his scholarship count grown exponentially, earning just shy of 30 offers. Some of the top programs include Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas A&M.
Mid-Atlantic analyst Adam Friedman explained why Warren made a big jump in the rankings.
“Warren brings a lot to the table as a cornerback,” Friedman said. “He has the size, speed and skill set to play immediately at the Power Five level. He has a really good knack for finding the ball. He has great instincts, and that’s the first thing that really stands out on film. He does a great job playing the ball when it’s in the air and he has pretty good hands for a defensive back. He’s explosive and physical, and he has really good footwork.
“One of the other things that stands out on film is his patience. He does a really good job staying in his backpedal as long as possible, then breaking on the pass when it’s thrown in front of him. That’s one of the strongest pieces of his game. He has the size to play corner or safety, but he’ll likely start out as a corner and I expect him to play early once he gets to that level.”
Warren, who grew up in Suitland, Md., was declared ineligible at his original high school, Suitland, heading into his junior season. He ended up leaving to attend the Avalon School in Silver Spring that year, playing in five games. Warren then returned to Suitland for his senior season, but following a change in principals, he was once again declared ineligible, forcing him to miss out on his final chance to show schools his potential.
Fortunately, head coach Mark Duda and his staff at Lackawanna gave Warren an opportunity, and it has proven to be an excellent decision. As a freshman, he totaled 35 tackles, six pass deflections, five interceptions and three forced fumbles. He also blocked five kicks. Lackawanna played for its first NJCAA national championship, but ended up falling short to powerhouse Mississippi Gulf Coast, 24-13.
Since that game, Warren has shifted his focus to recruiting, although that’s been tricky of late. Before the NCAA shutdown recruiting, he was able to visit Penn State for the first time, but that remains the only visit he’s taken. He planned trips to Georgia, Maryland and Tennessee in March, but those visits were all cancelled when the NCAA shutdown in-person recruiting. He also had multiple visits planned to see Penn State. He has since rescheduled his official visit to University Park for June 19-21, but that's only if the NCAA allows visits to happen. Currently, no visits, unofficial or official, can take place until June 1.
Wisely, Warren has made it clear that he doesn't want to rush this decision. As of now, he plans to visit schools this summer before making a decision.
"I want to see other places," Warren said in a recent interview with Rivals. "So far, I've only been to Penn State, so before I narrow it down and commit, I want to go see what's out there."
The Nittany Lions have been on a roll in recruiting of late, adding four defensive backs to the Class of 2021. Two of those prospects, Kalen King and Jeffrey Davis Jr., are expected to begin their careers at cornerback. Warren is one of the staff's top remaining defensive backs, along with five-star cornerback Tony Grimes and safety Derrick Davis. Currently, I expect Penn State to sign at least five defensive backs, potentially six if Grimes or Davis were to join the class.
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